Salt Pond Homeowners Association

To: Salt Pond Property Owners

From: SPHA Ponds & Wetlands Committee

Subject: Salt Pond Community Conservation Easement

The Salt Pond Homeowner Association (SPHA) members may not be aware that the Salt Pond community includes a Conservation Easement (CE) mandated by a 1994 Federal “Consent Decree”.  This easement was granted to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) by the developer, Salt Pond Associates. Now that SPHA is the owner of the common areas, including the CE, SPHA and property owners are responsible for caring for the CE, according to CE terms and requirements of DNREC.

Our Board of Directors and the Ponds and Wetlands Committee want to ensure that Salt Pond owners have the necessary information to comply with federal and state regulations about care and maintenance of the CE and federal wetlands in the Salt Pond. SPHA is beginning an education program to increase owner awareness of SPHA’s and individual owner’s responsibilities related to the CE.

The CE boundaries are delineated with surveyed ground level “monuments”. They will be further identified with more visible signage, so home and lot owners know the boundaries of the CE lines. These signs should be in place in the near future. The CE boundaries typically include the open water, islands, swales, wetlands, and riparian buffers associated with the non-golf course ponds and the Salt Pond beach.

A comprehensive management plan with defined implementation procedures has been established and is currently active.  Generally, the CE is designated as a “no disturb zone ”to serve habitat, storm water management, and water quality enhancement systems.  These “natural areas” are now actively managed to control exotic invasive and native nuisance vegetation, soil stabilization, fish and wildlife, etc. in compliance with The SP Community Conservation Easement Pond(s) and Wetlands Management Program. 

The SPHA Ponds and Wetlands Committee will be working to inform affected owners of the requirements of regulations and management of the easement.  SPHA’s environmental consultant, Envirotech, is working to ensure that the CE is managed to benefit the overall welfare of the community, and is acceptable to DNREC.

As a first step, owners whose property borders a non-golf course pond or the Salt Pond beach are invited to a meeting to be held on June 21, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. at the Salt Pond Community Center. This meeting will help clarify the types of activity and human impact allowable within the CE.  For example, the CE is not to be mowed.

Immediate inquiries may be addressed by contacting any of the Ponds and Wetlands Committee members:

Name Phone e-mail

Clayton Brown, P&W Chair 302-539-2602 ccbbsb@verizon.net

Beverly Thierwechter 302-537-4757 bevandjim5@verizon.net

James Beachboard 302-541-8007 beach320@verizon.net

James Nist 302-537-4968 poppops@loco8.org

Ronnie Malone, Board Liaison 302-537-7162 rmalone6161@verizon.net